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http://wosu.org/2012/wp-content/themes/wosu-child-home/images/wosu_public_media_120_27.jpg12575Going Solar in Central Ohiohttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/29/going-solar-in-central-ohio/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/29/going-solar-in-central-ohio/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000David Lukofskyhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/29/going-solar-in-central-ohio/Despite more reasonable energy costs and a weak economy, the solar panel industry is booming. Homeowners could purchase solar panels at a fraction of the cost as a result of federal and state rebates.

]]>Al Debalak had 18 solar panels installed on his Berwick Drive home in Columbus. He was stunned when he saw what happened to his electricity meter. “Oh my Gosh! It’s going in the opposite direction!” says Debalak.

The electricity meter spins in reverse when the solar panels produce more electricity than the household needs. Debalak says his monthly electric bill fell by 70% since he had the solar panels installed.

“We’re impressed. We’re very impressed,” says Debalak.

Debalak is not alone. Michelle Greenfield – from the company ThirdSun Solar – has been in the solar panel business for 12 years.

“Our business has grown tremendously over the past 3 years. We more than doubled from 2007 to 2008 and the year before that we tripled,” says Greenfield.

And she says business has not really slowed because of the recession or the drop in energy prices. Greenfield credits state and federal tax incentives for the sustained momentum.

The gross cost of a solar system is about $40,000 – but new customers end up paying only a fraction of that cost.

“A system may cost $40,000. If you get a rebate from the state of Ohio the rebate would be 30% to 40% off and the federal tax credit would be another 30%. It’s like a 70% off sale on solar,” says Greenfield.

That brings the $40,000 cost down to about $12,000. Despite those savings, solar panels aren’t a bargain. The payback period for even a discounted system is about 10 years. This might explain why people like Al Debalak say money does not drive their decision.

“I’m just concerned about how we use our energy and being responsible. We didn’t do it because we wanted to pay itself off,” says Debalak.

Steven Ringel is a professor of Material Science at Ohio State University. He explains that solar panels are costly because it’s difficult to find a material that converts light to electricity.

“It’s actually a very hard problem. It’s very difficult to convert all of the sunlight to electricity,” says Ringel.

Solar cells are made of a special type of material known as semiconductors. Most materials classify as either conductors of electricity – like copper – or insulators of electricity – like porcelain. But semiconductors are both of these things.

Professor Ringel explains how it’s this property that allows semiconductors to work in solar cells.

“A semiconductor becomes very conductive when light gets absorbed. It directly converts energy in the form of light to energy in the form of electricity. Wood, of course, might get hot,” says Ringel.

And not all semiconductors are equal. Some are better at converting bluish light to electricity, while others are better at converting reddish light. A perfect solar cell is one that is able to convert all colors found in sunlight.

“When you think about the sun there’s a distribution of colors. A good solar cell material would be one where most of the colors are absorbed by the material. That depends on the chemistry of the material,” says Ringel.

So it’s all about finding the right material or combination of materials. Ringel’s group is testing the effectiveness of layering different types of semiconductors.

“There are many new players in the field. Solar cells that are made out of polymers, that are flexible, solar cells that are made out of very esoteric materials,” says Ringel.

Ringel is optimistic that – one day – research will produce a widely available, inexpensive, and efficient solar cell material.

“It’s a matter of time. The race is on. There are so many research groups and companies that have entered the field. You know, there’s been some great findings,” says Ringel.

As for Debalak, he looks forward to promoting the idea of going solar to others who are interested. He says that solar energy, despite Ohio weather, is worth it.

“Everybody told me when we put those up that we wouldn’t be able to bring in the amount of power that we needed – because Ohio’s so gray especially Columbus. But even in gray central Ohio, we seem to be doing ok with this,” says Debalak.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/29/going-solar-in-central-ohio/feed/0alternative,electricity,energy,solarDespite more reasonable energy costs and a weak economy, the solar panel industry is booming. Homeowners could purchase solar panels at a fraction of the cost as a result of federal and state rebates.Despite more reasonable energy costs and a weak economy, the solar panel industry is booming. Homeowners could purchase solar panels at a fraction of the cost as a result of federal and state rebates.WOSU Newsno3:49A Toilet Flush Away from Powering your Carhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/27/a-toilet-flush-away-from-powering-your-car/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/27/a-toilet-flush-away-from-powering-your-car/#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000David Lukofskyhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/27/a-toilet-flush-away-from-powering-your-car/The quest for hydrogen cars is getting a push from new research at Ohio University. A team led by Professor Gerry Botte succeeded in extracting hydrogen fuel from human urine.

]]>A trip to the bathroom usually sounds like this. [BITE: Sound of toilet flush]. But a study from Ohio University suggests it might soon sound like this [BITE: Sound of car starting]. Professor Gerry Botte discovered a method to convert urea – the main component of urine – into hydrogen fuel. “We are machines making fuels basically,” says Botte. The method is known as urea-electrolysis. Botte says she could produce hydrogen fuel by dipping two nickel electrodes into urine and applying an electric current across them. The voltage causes the urea molecule to break and release its primary chemical building blocks. Nitrogen and Potassium Carbonate go to one side. Hydrogen goes to the other. “What I’m providing is an on-board source of hydrogen. So you store urea and therefore you produce your hydrogen on demand,” says Botte. The method is similar to another method to get hydrogen: water electrolysis. This method uses electricity to break down the water molecule and release hydrogen. But Botte says electrolysis in water is inefficient because it requires a lot of energy. “With water the amount of energy that you will require to break the molecule will be more than what you can get from the combustion,” says Botte. Botte says urea is a better starting point than water for hydrogen production. “It contains more hydrogen than water. The other thing is that it’s 95% lower energy consumption than water electrolysis,” says Botte. The technology would be quite attractive if an infinite source of urea existed. But it doesn’t. No matter how much coffee we drink, we can produce only so much. And animals can only produce so much. “Obviously we cannot power completely a car with urine because we don’t make enough,” says Botte. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of numbers. One human produces about 30 grams of urea every day sometimes more, sometimes less depending on what we eat. On a good’ day, one person’s urine could not power a car for more than half a mile of highway driving. Therefore it’s apparent that powering all of America’s cars would require a lot of toilet flushes or a lot of cows [BITE: cows]. However some researchers are skeptical. “I’m not convinced that there are practical applications of the technology,” says Bruce Logan, Bruce Logan is a professor of Environmental Engineering at Penn State. He doubts the economic practicality of converting urea to hydrogen. Logan suspects there would be a better way to make money from urine. “If you had a solution with high concentrations of urea, you’d have a pretty valuable fertilizer. The value of the fertilizer might be more useful than the economic value of the hydrogen you make by that process,” says Logan. This could be true for solutions with large concentrations of urea. But urine – or waste water in general – is only a diluted stream of the substance. Jason Ganley is a member of the Ammonia Fuel Network. He says the challenge to using urea as a fertilizer is it would require concentrating the wastewater first. “It’s a question of not only where can you find the fuel but how easy is it to concentrate it. It would take a lot of energy and effort to collect it out of the wastewater stream,” says Ganley. On the other hand, Ganley says Botte’s idea to use urea as fuel does not depend on concentration. Hydrogen fuel could come out of any stream of wastewater – dilute or not. “She could take a waste stream and as it flows by, apply a voltage to it and immediately gather a hydrogen product,” says Ganley. Ganley acknowledges the innovation will not replace standard combustion engines in vehicles anytime soon. But he says Botte’s research could yield bigger picture benefits.

“Anytime we could take a waste stream, something that we would have normally thrown away – and turn it into something useful, you’ve done something good,” says Ganley.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/27/a-toilet-flush-away-from-powering-your-car/feed/0alternative,biofuels,fuels,hydrogenThe quest for hydrogen cars is getting a push from new research at Ohio University. A team led by Professor Gerry Botte succeeded in extracting hydrogen fuel from human urine.The quest for hydrogen cars is getting a push from new research at Ohio University. A team led by Professor Gerry Botte succeeded in extracting hydrogen fuel from human urine.WOSU Newsno3:52Energy Prices a Key Issue in Race Between Kilroy, Stivershttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/08/energy-prices-a-key-issue-in-race-between-kilroy-stivers/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/08/energy-prices-a-key-issue-in-race-between-kilroy-stivers/#commentsTue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/08/energy-prices-a-key-issue-in-race-between-kilroy-stivers/High gasoline prices have become a major theme in the race for Ohio's 15th Congressional district. Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy,(D) and State Senator Steve Stivers,(R) have both developed their own energy plans.

]]>High gasoline prices have become a major theme in the race for Ohio’s 15th Congressional district. Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D), and State Senator Steve Stivers (R), have both developed their own energy plans.

Steve Stivers, a Republican, and Mary Jo Kilroy, a Democrat have each authored multi-point energy plans. Stivers presented his at a Columbus gas station in early June.

“We’ve all seen with the high cost of energy what it’s meant for jobs, what it’s meant for small business, and what it’s meant for families,” Stivers says.

Mary Jo Kilroy followed with a detailed plan at Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research a month later.

“We have an energy crisis going on,” Kilroy says. “You feel it, I feel it, every time we fill up our cars at the pump.”Miami University Economist James Brock reviewed both plans and says they each make interesting suggestions. For example, Stivers proposes increasing the average miles per gallon from existing fuels.

“I’m calling on fleet averages for cars to be raised to 40 miles per gallon and for trucks, 35 miles per gallon, by 2015 and that’s six years from 2009,” Stivers says.

Kilroy, on the other hand, wants every American car to be powered by an alternative fuel in 12 years.

“I call on us to accept this challenge: to set a goal of producing an entirely alternative fueled fleet of cars built in America by 2020,” Kilroy says.

Economist James Brock likes both ideas.

“I think they best make sense taken together,” Brock says. “I think the miles per gallon, the fuel, the CAF standards, is more of a nearer term kind of an objective to try to push the auto companies to increase that – I think they’re getting a huge push already from the marketplace to do that. I think that the alternative fuels is important, longer term objective for the country that we really do seriously have to wean ourselves off of our dependence on oil – foreign oil – and all of the complications and headaches that go with that.”

But Stivers’ and Kilroy’s plans differ in a number of ways. Stivers calls for increasing the domestic supply of oil, presumably through drilling. Kilroy says the U-S cannot drill itself out of the problem. She says oil companies hold leases on 68 million acres of land but are doing nothing with them. Economist James Brock agrees.

“Exxon’s been dragging its heels for 20 years on a pretty substantial area up in Alaska. And so one would think that they are not in any big rush to increase the supply which would drive down the price and they seem to like it when the price goes up rather than down.”

Kilroy also criticizes the petroleum industry for not building new refineries. But Brock contends that point is misleading.

“When you look at the nation’s refining capacity to turn oil into gasoline that capacity has actually increased substantially over the last 20 years,” Brock says. “So they haven’t built any new refineries but they’ve expanded the ones that they have.”

“What we’ve had is almost state-by-state and regions within state sort of custom blended boutique gasolines to fit each neighborhood in the whole country; that’s a real problem, Brock says. “When you have this balkanized market of all these different designer fuels it makes the industry much more risky and much more unpredictable.”

While Brock agrees with much of Stivers’ energy plan, one point concerns him.

“The truly horrifying suggestion comes from the Stivers plan which is to create a domestic Petroleum Administration for Security which would go a long way in taking over the nation’s oil business and I think that is exactly what we do not need. We’ve already got one Department of Energy; I don’t know that a second one would do anything good,” says Brock.

And when it comes to preparing for the country’s energy future, Brock favors Kilroy’s addressing the domestic energy crisis sooner rather than later.

“Sooner or later we’re going to run into a situation where we need to move on and I think it makes more sense to start to adjust and take steps that way now rather than hope to find an easy fix and just kick the problem a couple of years down the road,” Brock says.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/08/energy-prices-a-key-issue-in-race-between-kilroy-stivers/feed/0alternative,cafe,fuels,gas,Mary Jo Kilroy,prices,Steve StiversHigh gasoline prices have become a major theme in the race for Ohio's 15th Congressional district. Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy,(D) and State Senator Steve Stivers,(R) have both developed their own energy plans.High gasoline prices have become a major theme in the race for Ohio's 15th Congressional district. Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy,(D) and State Senator Steve Stivers,(R) have both developed their own energy plans.WOSU Newsno4:56Ohio Child Protection Agencies Try a New Way of Dealing with Cases of Child Abuse and Neglecthttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/07/ohio-child-protection-agencies-try-a-new-way-of-dealing-with-cases-of-child-abuse-and-neglect/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/07/ohio-child-protection-agencies-try-a-new-way-of-dealing-with-cases-of-child-abuse-and-neglect/#commentsMon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000Lauren Schmollhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/07/ohio-child-protection-agencies-try-a-new-way-of-dealing-with-cases-of-child-abuse-and-neglect/The state of Ohio now has a new tool for dealing with cases of child abuse and neglect.

]]>The state of Ohio now has a new tool for dealing with cases of child abuse and neglect.

Crystal Ward Allen directs the Public Childrens Services Association of Ohio. She helps run a new program she says will help Childrens Services keep families together.

We’re trying to sit down with that family and say, Clearly this isn’t the situation that you want or that we want. What ideas do you have that we can help you bring to your current situation?’

The program is called Alternative Response, and allows case workers to work with families to try resolve problems without removing the children from the home. Franklin County is one of ten Ohio Counties participating in the pilot phase of the program.

Franklin County Children Services Director Eric Fenner says the program is useful in cases where the child is not in immediate danger.

When we come out through alternative response, we’re not checking cupboards, looking for sleeping arrangements not having the disposition of abuse or neglect. We’re more focused on assessing that family: what are the needs, what are the issues and then we can provide those services.

Alternative Response is the result of a research effort between the Ohio Supreme Court and the Department of Job and Family Services to more clearly define child abuse and neglect. Fenner says it gives Childrens Services more power to make important decisions

We know that all families don’t require the same level of intervention, but we’ve not had the authority through laws and rules to have an alternative response to servicing those families. We have to service all families the same once we decide to take them in. This gives us another path.

There is some cost involved. Additional training is needed for case workers participating the program but Fenner says the program will eventually save Franklin County money.

We believe that in the long run there’ll be a real cost savings for both our office and the community. And not just savings in terms of dollars, but also savings in terms of keeping families together.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/07/ohio-child-protection-agencies-try-a-new-way-of-dealing-with-cases-of-child-abuse-and-neglect/feed/0alternative,responseThe state of Ohio now has a new tool for dealing with cases of child abuse and neglect.The state of Ohio now has a new tool for dealing with cases of child abuse and neglect.WOSU Newsno2:16Electricity Going Green at a High Price?http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/01/09/electricity-going-green-at-a-high-price/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/01/09/electricity-going-green-at-a-high-price/#commentsWed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000Bill Cohenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/01/09/electricity-going-green-at-a-high-price/Ohio legislators are trying to answer what could be a multi-billion dollar question: should electric companies be ordered to get at least 25% of their power from so-called advanced sources by the year 2025 and what should those alternative sources be? The House committee held a session today that included some widely divergent views and a bit of guerilla theater.

]]>Ohio legislators are trying to answer what could be a multi-billion dollar question: should electric companies be ordered to get at least 25% of their power from so-called advanced sources by the year 2025 and what should those alternative sources be? The House committee held a session today that included some widely divergent views and a bit of guerilla theater.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/01/09/electricity-going-green-at-a-high-price/feed/0alternative,companies,electric,electricities,energyOhio legislators are trying to answer what could be a multi-billion dollar question: should electric companies be ordered to get at least 25% of their power from so-called advanced sources by the year 2025 and what should those alternative sources be?Ohio legislators are trying to answer what could be a multi-billion dollar question: should electric companies be ordered to get at least 25% of their power from so-called advanced sources by the year 2025 and what should those alternative sources be? The House committee held a session today that included some widely divergent views and a bit of guerilla theater.WOSU Newsno3:46Democratic Lawmakers Propose Energy Planhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/09/12/democratic-lawmakers-propose-energy-plan/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/09/12/democratic-lawmakers-propose-energy-plan/#commentsWed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000Jo Ingleshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/09/12/democratic-lawmakers-propose-energy-plan/Democratic lawmakers have developed their own energy plan.

]]>Just a couple of weeks ago, Ohio’s democratic Governor Ted Strickland unveiled his new energy policy. Now some democrats in the Ohio legislature have a plan of their own. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports, their plan is more ambitious.

]]>Governor Ted Strickland’s proposal to boost alternative energy in Ohio is only a few days old. Already, changes are being proposed. The calls are coming not just from environmental activists but also from key Republican legislators who dominate the legislature. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports.